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The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of iontophoresis combined with local psoralen plus ultraviolet A (PUVA) therapy in chronic foot eczema. A randomized, observer-blinded, multi-centre study was conducted in 48 patients with chronic moderate-to-severe foot eczema randomized to one of 3 groups: In the iontophoresis group local bath-PUVA was preceded by iontophoresis. In the PUVA group only local PUVA was given. The corticosteroid group was treated with fluticasone. All treatments were given for 8 weeks, with an 8-week follow-up period. The primary efficacy parameter was eczema score described by Rosén et al. Secondary efficacy parameters were a global impression by the patient, and the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). The eczema score and the DLQI decreased significantly over time. There were no significant differences in the decrease in eczema score (p = 0.053) and DLQI values (p = 0.563) between the 3 treatments. The DLQI values in our chronic foot eczema patients were high. There was no obvious advantage of local bath-PUVA with or with-out iontophoresis over local steroid therapy.

BACKGROUND:
Foot eczema often occurs in combination with hand eczema. However, in contrast to the situation with hand eczema, knowledge about foot eczema is scarce, especially in occupational settings.
OBJECTIVE:
To evaluate the prevalence of foot eczema and associated factors in patients with hand eczema taking part in a tertiary individual prevention programme for occupational skin diseases.
PATIENTS/MATERIALS/METHODS:
In a retrospective cohort study, the medical records of 843 patients taking part in the tertiary individual prevention programme were evaluated.
RESULTS:
Seven hundred and twenty-three patients (85.8%) suffered from hand eczema. Among these, 201 patients (27.8%) had concomitant foot eczema, mainly atopic foot eczema (60.4%). An occupational irritant component was possible in 38 patients with foot eczema (18.9%). In the majority of patients, the same morphological features were found on the hands and feet (71.1%). The presence of foot eczema was significantly associated with male sex [odds ratio (OR) 1.78, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.29-2.49], atopic hand eczema (OR 1.60, 95% CI 1.15-2.22), hyperhidrosis (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.33-2.43), and the wearing of safety shoes/boots at work (OR 2.04, 95% CI 1.46-2.87). Tobacco smoking was associated with foot eczema (OR 1.79, 95% CI 1.25-2.57), in particular with the vesicular subtype.
CONCLUSIONS:
Foot eczema is common in patients with hand eczema, and is related to both occupational and non-occupational factors.

Background
Eczema is a chronic skin disease characterised by dry skin, intense itching, inflammatory skin lesions, and a considerable impact on quality of life. Moisturisation is an integral part of treatment, but it is unclear if moisturisers are effective.
Objectives
To assess the effects of moisturisers for eczema.
Search methods
We searched the following databases to December 2015: Cochrane Skin Specialised Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, LILACS, the GREAT database. We searched five trials registers and checked references of included and excluded studies for further relevant trials.
Selection criteria
Randomised controlled trials in people with eczema.
Data collection and analysis
We used standard Cochrane methodological procedures.
Main results
We included 77 studies (6603 participants, mean age: 18.6 years, mean duration: 6.7 weeks). We assessed 36 studies as at a high risk of bias, 34 at unclear risk, and seven at low risk. Twenty-four studies assessed our primary outcome 'participant-assessed disease severity', 13 assessed 'satisfaction', and 41 assessed 'adverse events'. Secondary outcomes included investigator-assessed disease severity (addressed in 65 studies), skin barrier function (29), flare prevention (16), quality of life (10), and corticosteroid use (eight). Adverse events reporting was limited (smarting, stinging, pruritus, erythema, folliculitis).

Most moisturisers showed some beneficial effects, producing better results when used with active treatment, prolonging time to flare, and reducing the number of flares and amount of topical corticosteroids needed to achieve similar reductions in eczema severity. We did not find reliable evidence that one moisturiser is better than another.